{"id":31125,"date":"2024-05-14T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/john-9_35-41-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-05-07T15:39:49","modified_gmt":"2024-05-07T22:39:49","slug":"john-10_1-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/john-10_1-10\/","title":{"rendered":"How Jesus Leads You"},"content":{"rendered":"

John\u00a0 10:1-10\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0(CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

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Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

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Today\u2019s passage is John 10:1-10.\u00a0 I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help, then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

John 10:1-5 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep.
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 1-5:\u00a0 Back during Jesus\u2019 time on earth, shepherds would often bring their respective flocks together to be placed in a communal pen for the night.\u00a0 One shepherd would be assigned to be the watchman to watch the flocks at night while the other shepherds slept.\u00a0 In the morning, the shepherds would return to the communal pen to collect their sheep.\u00a0 But how would they separate their own sheep from the rest of the sheep in the communal pen?\u00a0 By the sound of the shepherd\u2019s voice.\u00a0 The shepherd would give out a special call, and based on the shepherd\u2019s voice his own sheep would separate from the rest in the communal pen and follow the shepherd.<\/p>\n

In contrast, a thief who wanted to steal sheep would not do so by saying, \u201cHere, sheepy, sheepy!\u201d\u00a0 For he knows that the sheep would run away at the sound of his unfamiliar voice (v5).\u00a0 So instead, as verse 1 suggests, a thief would try to evade the watchman standing at the gate of the pen.\u00a0 The thief might climb over the fence of the communal pen at night, slit the throats of some sheep and throw them over to the other side.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 These verses on one hand show the intimate relationship between Jesus and his people.\u00a0 For example:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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  • Just as the shepherd has a personal relationship with his sheep and calls them by name (John 10:3), so\u00a0you were made for a personal relationship with Jesus, one where He calls you by name<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  • Just as the shepherd goes ahead of the sheep and leads them (John 10:4), so\u00a0Jesus goes ahead of you and is leading you<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  • Just as the sheep hear the shepherd\u2019s voice and trustingly follow the shepherd (John 10:4),\u00a0may you hear your shepherd\u2019s voice and trustingly follow Him<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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    Notice that Jesus does not whip his people from behind like cattle and force them into submission.\u00a0 Rather, like a shepherd leading his sheep,\u00a0Jesus goes ahead of you and leads you not by force, but by His voice.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 These verses also show how Satan works.\u00a0 Knowing that the sheep would not recognize his voice (v5), Satan will try to find stealthy ways to get into the pen and steal some sheep.<\/p>\n

    John 10:6-9 (NIV)<\/strong>
    \n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
    \n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.
    \n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
    \n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.<\/em><\/p>\n

    On verses 6-9:\u00a0 Jesus was persistent about finding ways to reach his hearers with the truth of who He is.\u00a0 When his hearers did not understand Jesus\u2019 illustration (\u201cfigure of speech\u201d) in verses 1-5, Jesus used another illustration.\u00a0 This time Jesus compares himself to the gate of a sheep pen.\u00a0 He says that if you want to enter God\u2019s sheep pen, you need to enter through Jesus.<\/p>\n

    What can we learn from this?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    1.\u00a0 Jesus is persistent in trying to reach us and teach us.\u00a0 He keeps saying the same message to us, in different ways, until we get it.\u00a0 Likewise\u00a0may we be persistent in showing who Jesus is to the people in our lives<\/strong>.\u00a0 Like Jesus, when our first attempt doesn\u2019t work out, try again in a different way.<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 The only way to enter God\u2019s kingdom is through the gate, that is, through Jesus.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    John 10:10 (NIV)<\/strong>
    \n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.On verse 10:\u00a0 To summarize everything that Jesus has been saying in verses 1-9, Jesus gives this powerful statement. \u00a0Both God and Satan have a will for your life, just very different wills.<\/strong>\u00a0 Whereas Satan\u2019s agenda is to steal, kill and destroy you, Jesus\u2019 agenda is to give you life, life to the full.<\/p>\n

    As attractive as Satan\u2019s way may sometimes seem, Satan’s way will only steal, kill and destroy your life.\u00a0 As unattractive as Jesus\u2019 way may sometimes seem, Jesus’ way is the only way to experience life at its fullest.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Jesus, thank You that You have come that I may have life to the full.\u00a0 When we are hard of hearing or slow to understand, thank You that You don\u2019t give up on us.\u00a0 Instead, You persistently try to reach us and teach us what we need to know, even saying the same thing in different ways.\u00a0 Thank You that You lead us not by force, but Your voice.\u00a0\u00a0 Please help me to hear Your voice and to follow You.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Copyright \u00a9 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

    Today\u2019s passage is John 10:1-10.\u00a0 I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help, then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!
    \n\u00a0
    \nJohn 10:1-5 (NIV)
    \n1\u00a0\u00a0“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.
    \n2\u00a0\u00a0The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep.
    \n3\u00a0\u00a0The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
    \n4\u00a0\u00a0When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
    \n5\u00a0\u00a0But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
    \n\u00a0
    \nOn verses 1-5:\u00a0 Back during Jesus\u2019 time on earth, shepherds would often bring their respective flocks together to be placed in a communal pen for the night.\u00a0 One shepherd would be assigned to be the watchman to watch the flocks at night while the other shepherds slept.\u00a0 In the morning, the shepherds would return to the communal pen to collect their sheep.\u00a0 But how would they separate their own sheep from the rest of the sheep in the communal pen?\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31128,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31125"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31125\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31129,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31125\/revisions\/31129"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}